Saturday, 4 September 2010

Coming this October: Black Flag 232

After an influx of interest from writers (if not, alas, from people who's first love is phoning up shops to get us stocked, chasing payments and generally getting down to the nitty gritty of admin and distro) it looks like we're filling up our pages nicely. Among some of our prospective articles are:

- A US citizen in London tells of her constant battle and the high price of staying in Britain against ongoing state hostility

- Ed Goddard of libcom.org taking on the thorny question of why trade unionism is failing working people in a time of crisis.

- A genuinely alternative take on Somali piracy from a journalist who has been there and seen first-hand the realities on the ground.

Please sign this petition (it takes only a few seconds) seeking support for the upcoming Bill to ban the horribly cruel practice of live hare coursing in Ireland.

Hare coursing is a so-called "sport" in which hares (jack rabbits to Americans) are set up as bait for greyhounds to chase and terrorize. Many hares are killed or horribly injured each year as they are mauled or tossed about like rag dolls on the coursing fields. Some hares die within seconds of being struck by the fast moving dogs. Others die of agonizing internal injuries, such as bone breakages that cannot heal.

A member of Ireland's parliament, the Dail, will attempt in the coming months to have hare coursing banned.

We desperately need people to petition the government of Ireland, requesting its support for this Bill.

That's where this petition comes in. Each time a person signs it, an email immediately goes to the Taoiseach and Tanaiste (Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland) requesting their support for the Bill.